The moment Gandalf's voice faded, the air seemed to be wrapped in invisible silk, and silence solidified like a physical entity in the guest room, plunging everyone into quiet.
Arthur frowned deeply, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the armrest.
Thorin's expression was relatively relaxed, leaning back in the wooden chair.
Gandalf's hand, beneath his grey robe, leaned slightly forward, and the wisps of smoke from his pipe outlined a loose spiral in the air. His burning gaze pierced through the hazy smoke, fixed on Arthur.
The old wizard had already sought help from every nation he could, with only Arthur remaining—his last unrevealed trump card.
When all support from other thrones had vanished like smoke, only the banner of the Erdtree still slumbered in its scabbard.
Arthur's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and the names of Bernal and others turned a few times on his tongue.
He had many things to consider. If it were just himself and Bernal participating in this expedition, it would merely be an adventure, a heroic legend written on a parchment.
Whatever Arthur might gain or lose from this adventure in the end, it would only concern a few of them.
But if Arthur agreed to dispatch an army, allowing the Erdtree's battle flag to flutter in the Lonely Mountain, then every hoofprint would become an extension of the nation's will.
Because the interests he represented were not just his own, but those of the entire Erdtree.
At this moment, his identity was no longer that of a valiant knight, a powerful wizard, or even a member of the Lonely Mountain Expedition, but a monarch from the Golden Tree Territory.
Arthur gazed at the flickering flames in the fireplace, as if seeing millions of soldiers' fervent eyes sparkling in the ashes.
He knew that with just a slight parting of his lips, those armors emblazoned with the Erdtree emblem would erupt with fanatical battle intent, and the soldiers from the Erdtree would certainly agree to participate in this war.
The crucial point was what benefits Arthur could gain from this war.
What resonated in his chest now was not the bugle call of a warrior's bloodline, but the responsibility weighing on his heart, heavy as a thousand tons.
His devoted soldiers might not care, but Arthur believed he must take responsibility for these Erdtree soldiers.
If these soldiers were willing to become Arthur's sharp sword, then as the wielder of the sword, Arthur's palm must measure the meaning of blood sacrifice for every follower.
Bilbo blinked, sensing the somewhat oppressive atmosphere in the room, and whispered, "Well, since a war is about to break out, do I still need to go look for the place where Bard's daughter is being held?"
Arthur's thoughts were interrupted by Bilbo. He looked at the hobbit and smiled, "Of course, we have already promised Bard, so we naturally won't break our word."
Then he looked at Gandalf and said, "Let's go talk outside, Gandalf. We'll leave Thorin and Bilbo here to discuss Bard's commission."
Arthur paused again, then looked at Igon: "Igon, you stay as well. The matter of Smaug is entrusted to you."
Igon laughed heartily: "Just leave that dragon to me."
As they walked out of the guest room, and the door closed behind them, Millison's wrist, resting on her sword hilt, lifted slightly, her amber pupils swirling with an inquisitive arc in the shadows.
Arthur raised his palm and pressed it down twice, shaking his head to indicate that nothing was amiss. Then he and Gandalf went to a quiet, deserted corner on the second floor of the inn.
Gandalf raised his staff, its tip lightly tapping the floor. Tiny starlight flowed down from the staff's head, and Arthur sensed an invisible barrier enveloping the two of them.
The old wizard chuckled, explaining, "Now even the most sensitive ears won't hear a single syllable, especially a certain hobbit."
Arthur was amused by Gandalf's words, smiling in agreement: "Indeed, we must be careful of Bilbo."
Then, the curve that had just lifted on Arthur's lips quickly sank into the shadow of his helmet. He spoke directly to Gandalf, getting straight to the point: "I regret to say, Gandalf, I cannot easily agree to send troops. I can accompany Thorin and the others with my sword to slay the Dragon, but to let the roots of the Erdtree plunge into the quagmire of war—I must consider the interests of my territory. In other words, you need to tell me, what will I gain if I agree to send troops?"
Gandalf held the mouthpiece of his pipe but wasn't smoking, simply letting the tobacco burn quietly in the bowl.
He first nodded and replied, "I completely understand your hesitation, Arthur; this is precisely a sign of your consideration for the residents of your territory."
Then, Gandalf sighed heavily: "If there were truly other nations willing to send troops, I wouldn't be asking for help from your territory. Gondor itself is still fighting against the threat of Mordor to the west. And Lohan's territory is not peaceful at this time; they face the threat of the Black Barbarians and even require Gondor's support. Although Dain of the Iron Hills will send troops, facing the combination of Azog's orc army and the Dragon Smaug, the dwarves' army alone is not enough. As for the Elves of Mirkwood… even without the threat of Ungoliant's remaining offspring, I can hardly guarantee Thranduil would be willing to help the dwarves."
After saying these words, he pulled out a scroll bound with a silver cord from his grey robe; it bore the seal of Gondor.
Arthur asked, puzzled: "What is this?"
Gandalf revealed a mysterious smile: "The motivation that will make you agree to send troops. It took me quite some time to arrange this."
Then, Gandalf chanted a spell Arthur didn't understand, and the silver cord unraveled in response, burning itself completely as it floated to the ground.
After doing all this, Gandalf handed it to Arthur.
Arthur took it, and as he unfolded the secret order, he said, "How do I feel like you're so sure I'll agree to send troops after seeing what's written on this?"
Gandalf said with a chuckle, "You'll know when you see it."
Arthur looked at Gandalf suspiciously, intending to refuse him after carefully reading the contents of the secret order.
But his gaze was immediately drawn to the vast number of noble symbols on the secret order; Arthur recognized one of them as belonging to the Gondor noble who wanted to sell fruits and flowers in the Golden Tree Territory.
In other words, all the marks above belonged to Gondor nobles.
And above these noble marks, there was only a brief sentence: "The Enedwaith region, from the moment this secret order is unsealed, whether he is willing to send troops to support Lonely Mountain or not, shall entirely belong to Arthur, the Lord of the Erdtree."
Arthur's pupils trembled slightly, then he looked up, incredulously at Gandalf: "Is this true?"
Gandalf nodded with satisfaction, as if he wanted to see this reaction from Arthur: "Of course it's true. In fact, the current Ruling Steward of Gondor quickly agreed to my request, but it took a lot of time to notify these nobles and have them affix their family seals."
Then he mumbled, "Mainly because there are too many nobles, and I had to visit many places."
The Enedwaith region is located southeast of Minhiriath; this area was nominally co-governed by the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, but in reality, not many people settled there.
With the fall of the Kingdom of Arnor, the Enedwaith region also experienced various natural disasters and man-made calamities, which ultimately led to its rapid decline, degenerating into a wild swamp that even Gondor itself had no intention of rebuilding.
Therefore, when Gandalf proposed gifting the Enedwaith region to Arthur in exchange for his help, the Ruling Steward of Gondor agreed without a second thought.
For Gondor, if Lonely Mountain completely fell into Sauron's hands, then in addition to Mordor, they would constantly face a threat from the north.
The Ruling Steward did not believe that dwarves and Elves alone could stop the Dragon Smaug and Sauron's army, so when he learned about this from Gandalf, he also felt it was troublesome.
But he indeed had no extra troops to spare for support, so when Gandalf proposed using the Enedwaith, a map that existed in name only, to gain the help of the Lord of the Erdtree, the Ruling Steward agreed.
Although he was unsure how the Lord of the Erdtree could transport troops to the vicinity of Lonely Mountain in a short time, he had no further questions when he remembered that the other party was also a wizard.
Moreover, the Ruling Steward had heard reports about the Golden Tree Territory, which had made parts of the barren land of Minhiriath disappear and become prosperous again in just a few months.
The Ruling Steward could understand that with such a development speed, the Erdtree would sooner or later lay claim to the Enedwaith region.
What's more, the other party had also dealt with the orcs secretly stationed in Limgrave Greatbridge; if these orcs had successfully rebuilt the Greatbridge, Gondor's coastal areas would also be threatened.
From this perspective, the Ruling Steward even had to thank Arthur.
Rather than having conflicts and unpleasantness with the other party at that time, it was better to befriend them while the Erdtree was still developing.
If the Enedwaith region could also regain prosperity under the Lord of the Erdtree, it would be a good thing for Gondor, and it would also be a huge favor given to Arthur.
Arthur was silent for a moment, then raised the secret order in his hand: "According to what it says, even if I don't agree to send troops, it won't affect the ownership of the Enedwaith region."
Gandalf finally took his first relaxed puff of smoke: "You're right, but from what I know of you, you wouldn't let that happen."
Arthur first shook his head helplessly, then said seriously, "I have to admit, you really have a grasp of my psychology. However, I can agree to help, but in rebuilding the Enedwaith region, I will also need some material support from Gondor."
Gandalf had an 'I knew it' expression: "The Ruling Steward of Gondor anticipated your request, and I can agree on his behalf. However, the specific amount of supplies and when they will be provided will require you to send someone to Gondor to discuss it directly with the Steward."
Arthur nodded: "That's natural. All right, you should tell me, how can I get my army here before the orc army arrives at Lonely Mountain?"
Gandalf replied, "That, I don't know of any way to do it."
Arthur raised an eyebrow: "Then what was all this for?"
Gandalf reassured him: "Don't worry, just because I don't have a way doesn't mean others don't. I was thinking about this problem when I sent Thorin's father, Thráin, to your territory for help. And while waiting for Thráin to recover, I met an acquaintance of yours. Her name is Sellen, and she claims to be your mentor in sorcery. Lady Sellen is indeed a powerful wizard, and after learning of my concerns, she said she could solve the problem of long-distance troop transport. However, Lady Sellen said this method requires your help as well."
Then he calculated the time in his mind: "Later, I went to Gondor to busy myself. When the last Gondor noble affixed his seal, I had my Giant Eagle friends bring me to you, and also had them go to the Golden Tree Territory to pick up Lady Sellen. She should arrive here with the Giant Eagles in about two days."
Arthur's expression was very colorful: "Wait, Teacher Sellen is coming too?"